Potato cleaning and separating device



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POTATO CLEANING AND SEPARATING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W awn/r60.

ATTD RNEYS Patented Dec. 18, 1951 POTATO CLEANING AND SEPARATING DEVICE William J. Johnson and Lewis H. Buckner, Darwin, Calif.

Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,524

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a potato-processing device, and more particularly to a device for separating potatoes from debris.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for separating detritus from potatoes to clean the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. device for receiving potatoes after they have been harvested and separating the debris, such as clods, stones and sticks from the potatoes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a potato-processing device embodying a first chamber containing a brine solution of a sufficient specific gravity to cause the heavier pieces of debris to precipitate to the bottom of the debris While the potatoes float on the surface of the brine solution, and a second chamber containing only water wherein the potatoes are washed and separated from the remaining debris.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a potato-cleaning device which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the potatoprocessing device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the device;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the potatoprocessing device;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2; I

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I III designates a frame preferably fabricated of suitable 2 by 4 and 4 by 4 timber. The frame I3 provides a support for a semi-cylindrical metal tank II which is provided with a curved bottom wall I2 and spaced, parallel end walls I3 and I4, Figure 2. Arranged intermediate the end walls I3 and I4 and secured to the bottom wall I2, as by welding, is a partition I5 which defines a first chamber or compartment I6 containing brine therein for a purpose to be later described, and a second chamber ll containing water therein.

Arranged longitudinally with respect to the tank II and supported by the frame ID are beams B and I8. A plurality of spaced bearings I9 are secured, to the beams and the frame by rivets or screws 20 and the bearings support a rotatable drive shaft 2 I. Mounted on one end of the shaft 2| is a pulley 22 which is adapted to be connected by a belt, not shown, which is connected to a suitable power source for rotating the shaft 2|. The other end of the shaft 2| has mounted thereon a first bevel gear 22, there being a second bevel gear 23 arranged intermediate the ends of the shaft 2| and connected thereto for a purpose to be subsequently described.

A plate 24, which may be perforated, is disposed transversely within the first chamber [6 and is secured to the bottom wall I2, as by welding. The plate 24 coacts with the end wall I3 to support a hopper 25 which has an open mouth 26 for receiving the potatoes 21 after harvesting. These potatoes contain detritus or debris 28, Figure 2, such as clods, sticks, stones which must be separated before the potatoes are ready for marketing. The hopper 25 is provided with an inclined chute 29 for guiding the potatoes downwardly into the brine chamber I6. In the brine chamber I6, the potatoes 2'| float to the surface of the fluid, while the detritus sinks or precipitates to the bottom thereof.

A conveyor 30 is provided for continuously removing the detritus, and this conveyor is arranged transversely with respect to the tank II. The conveyor 30 embodies a wide belt 3| which is trained over a pair of spaced rollers 32 and 33 that are supported on each side of the tank II by bearing blocks 34. The roller 32 is mounted on the drive shaft 2| and driven by the latter, while the other roller 33 is mounted on a driven shaft 35 which is arranged in spaced, parallel relation with respect to the shaft 2| and rotatably supported on the other side of the tank. A pair of curved or arcuate angle irons 36 and 31 are secured to the plate 24 and partition I5, respectively, by rivets and the angle irons 35 and 31 serve as guides to cause the belt 3| to move through the chamber I6 and adjacent the bottom wall I2. A plurality of spaced, parallel angle irons 38 are secured to the belt 3| by rivets 39 and these angle irons 38 gather up the preably carried by bearing blocks 45 which are supported by a beam 46, there being a pinion gear 41 mounted on one end of the shaft 44 and the gear 41 is arranged in meshing engagement with the gear 23. A second or lower roller 48 is spaced from the upper roller 43 and is supported by a pair of side members 49. Trained over the rollers 43 and 48 is a suitable belt 6 which has cleats 50 secured thereto for collecting and conveying the floating potatoes from the chamber I6. A suitable shaft and bearing assembly 9 is connected to the conveyor 40 for varying the tension of the belt '49 as desired. Blocks maintain the conveyor 40 centered and anchored between the side walls M and 42.

Next, the potatoes leaving the upper end of the conveyor 40 are received and guided by a curved ramp 5| which is secured by rivets 52 to the beam 46. Brackets 52 are secured to the ramp 5| and the brackets 52 are also secured to a pair of spaced, parallel sidewalls 2 and 3 which serve toguide the potatoes onto an inclined conveyor -53. Arplate 4 is arranged in the chamber I1 and serves :tohelp support the conveyor 53. The conveyor 53 includes a lower roller 55, side members 56' for dependingly supporting the roller 55, and an upper roller '51 which is mounted on a shaft 58. The-shaft 58 has a small ear 59 on one end which meshes with the gear '22 on the drive shaft '21. 5? is a belt fill'which has angle iron cleats Bl secured there'tofor conveying cleaned potatoes out of the chamber fl l-for deposit in a suitable container'62.

Any detritus or debris that is On the potatoes is washed off in the second chamber I1 and the debris floats to the surface of the'water where it is removed by a transversely-disposed conveyor 63'. The conveyor- 63 includes a pair of sprockets 54 mounted on the drive shaft 2| and a second pair of sprockets 65 mounted on the shaft 35. Trained over the sprockets 64 and 65 are chains 56, and extending between the chains '66 and secured thereto are support members 61 which carry a plurality of tines 68 for skimming'off the floating debris. A sprocket B9 is mounted on drive shaft 2], and a sprocket 10 is arranged ll'l alignment with'the sprocket 6'9 and is mounted on the shaft 35'. A chain H is trained over the sprockets 6'9 and HI for rotating the shaft 35 and controlling the sag in the chains 66. The debris is carried along by the tines 6'8 and debris is received'and guided out of the chamber H, by a ramp '12 which is supported by braces 13 that are secured to the bottom wall l-2'of the tank I I.

'In use, potatoes are dumped into the open mouth of the hopper which discharges the potatoes into the bottom of the brine chamber Hi. The specific gravity of the brine therein causes the potatoes 'torise to the top of the chamber while the'detritus or debris sinks or precipitates to the bottom. The debris is constantly being removed from the bottom of the chamber It by the transverse conveyor and this debris is carried out of the system. The potatoes floating in the brine chamber it are transported by the inclined conveyor 40 to the second chamber I! which contains only water. Here the potatoes 2-5! are Washed and sink to the bottom of the chamber 11. Anydebris that is carried over into the water chamber l1 floats and is continuously skimmed off and removed by the transverse conveyor 53. Finally, the conveyor 53 conveys the cleaned potatoes from the-bottom of thecham- Trained over the rollers 55 and 4 ber I! where they are ready for packaging and marketing.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a potato processin device, a frame, a semi-cylindrical tank supported on said frame, said tank having a concave bottom wall and spaced parallel end walls, a partition arranged intermediate the end walls of said tank and secured to said bottom wall to define a first chamber containing brine, and a second chamber containing water, a rotatable drive shaft supported by said frame, a pulley mounted on one end of said drive shaft and adapted to be connected to a power source, a first bevel gear mounted on the other end of said shaft, a plate arranged transversely in said first chamber and cooperating with one of said end walls .to provide a supporting assembly, a hopper supported by said assembly for receiving and discharging harvested potatoes into saidfirst chamber, a longitudinally directed inclined conveyor projecting out of said first chamber and located centrally within said chamber for conveying, potatoes from the latter to said second .chambena pair of spaced parallel side walls arranged longitudinally in said first chamber forguiding the potatoes onto said conveyor, a secondinclined conveyor projectin out of said secondv chamber for moving cleaned potatoeslout of said second chamber, said second conveyor being longitudinally aligned with said first conveyor, a ramp arranged in said second chamber and positioned between said first and second. conveyors for guiding potatoes from said first conveyor onto said second conveyor, a third conveyor including lanendless belt having a slack upper run reaching the bottom of the tank for removing detritus from said first chamber, the other run of said belt being exterior of said tank, said third conveyor including a pair of spaced parallel rollers supported on the sides of said tank, said endless belt being arranged transversely of said first chamber and trained over said rollers and mounted for continuous movement through said first chamber, one of said rollers being mounted on said .drive shaft, a driven shaft connected to said other roller, and a plurality of spaced angle irons secured to said belt for collecting precipitated detritus from the bottom of said tank and discharging the latter out of said tank.

2. In a potato processing device, a frame, a semi-cylindrical tank supported on said frame, said tank havin a concave bottom wall and spaced parallel end walls, a partition arranged intermediate the end walls of said tank and secured to said bottom wall to define a first chamber containing brine, and a second chamber containing water, a rotatable drive shaft supported by said frame, a pulley mounted on one end of said drive shaft and adapted to be connected to a power source, a first bevel gear mounted on the other end of said shaft, a plate arranged transversely in said first chamber and cooperating with one of said end walls to provide a supporting assembly, a hopper supported by said assembly for receiving and discharging harvested potatoes'into said first chamber, a longitudinally directed inclined conveyor projecting out of said first chamber and located centrally within said chamber, for conveying potatoes from the latter to said second chamber, a pair of spaced parallel side walls arranged longitudinally in said first chamber for guiding the potatoes onto said conveyor, a second inclined conveyor projecting out of said second chamber and located centrally in said second chamber for moving cleaned potatoes out of said second chamber, a ramp arranged in said second chamber and positioned in alignment with said first and second conveyors for guiding potatoes from said first conveyor onto said second conveyor, a third conveyor including an endless belt having a slack upper run reaching the bottom of said tank for removing detritus from said first chamber, the other run of said belt being arranged exteriorly of said tank, said third conveyor including a pair of spaced parallel rollers supported on the sides of said tank, said endless belt being arranged transversely of said first chamber and trained over said rollers and mounted for continuous movement through said first chamber, one of said rollers being mounted on said drive shaft, a driven shaft connected to said other roller, a plurality of spaced angle irons secured to said belt for collecting precipitated detritus from the bottom of said tank and discharging the latter out of said tank, a conveyor positioned adjacent the top of the liquid in said second chamber and arranged transversely with 6 respect to said second chamber for skimming detritus off of the surface of the water, and vertically disposed spaced parallel side walls arranged adjacent said second conveyor and extending longitudinally in said tank for guiding the potatoes therethrough.

WILLIAlVI J. JOHNSON. LEWIS H. BUCKNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,962 Anderson Nov. 12, 1889 489,905 Smith Nov. 4, 1890 515,542 Webb Feb. 27, 1894 994,654 Parker June 6, 1911 1,643,596 Zuckermann Sept. 27, 1927 1,754,923 Weigand Apr. 15, 1930 2,108,290 Levin Feb. 15, 1938 2,196,451 Holzer Apr. 9, 1940 2,426,398 Lathrop Aug. 26, 1947 2,465,220 Garber et a1 Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 866,046 France Mar. 31, 1941 

